What is it?
Safeguarding is the protection of children and vulnerable adults, who are suffering or at risk of suffering significant harm, ill treatment, the impairment of health or development, abuse or neglect. It involves proactively creating cultures of safeguarding to prevent abuse occurring in the first place and reacting to those who have been hurt by abuse to reduce any future harm.
Why is Safe Guarding so important to the Church?
The wider concept of safeguarding is “nurturing wellbeing as well as protecting the young and the vulnerable from harm and abuse.”
“Safeguarding…
• is essential to the Church’s fulfillment of its calling and mission given by Christ
• is implicit in what Jesus intended when he said ’feed my lambs, feed my sheep’
• is essential if we are to introduce people effectively to a relationship with God
• is a sign of the Kingdom – Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation”
Safeguarding is an exercise of charity and justice:
• helps the Church to stay one, holy, Catholic and Apostolic
• reflects the loving nature of God
• is an essential context for people to receive the sacraments and grow in discipleship
• is part of becoming a Church that people will want to join!”
Canon Kieron O’Brien – CSAS ‘SAFEGUARDING AS MINISTRY’ event, Oscott, April 2011
Aim
The Catholic Church in England and Wales aims to become an example of best practice in safeguarding children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable.
Our Parishes take very seriously their duty to protect from abuse all children, young people and vulnerable adults engaged in any kind of parish activity. With this in mind the policies and procedures related to Safeguarding promulgated by the Bishops of England and Wales and adopted by the Diocese of Hallam have been put into practice by the parishes. This means that all volunteers undertaking a wide range of duties within these parishes through which they may come into contact with children, young people or vulnerable adults, must comply with formal recruitment procedures involving interview, references, self declarations and clearance by the Disclosure and Barring Service, before being appointed to any relevant position within the parishes.
Click here to read the Bishop’s Annual Pastoral Letter for Safeguarding
The parishes have appointed a Safeguarding Representative, whose duty it is to ensure that all the policies and procedures mentioned above are effectively adopted and monitored. Anyone with concerns about safeguarding issues should get in touch with them. Their contact details are listed below:
Holy Rood
Emily Vickers
email: [email protected]
Contact phone number is on the poster at the back of Holy Rood church
Our Lady & St James
Sarah Redhead
email: [email protected]
Contact phone number: 07859111834.
Alternatively, contact may be made directly with the Diocesan Safeguarding Co-ordinator Marie O’Donnelly (details below).
Safeguarding Statement
The Catholic Church of England and Wales, the Bishops and Congregational Leaders are committed to safeguarding as an integral part of the life and ministry of the Church. We affirm the One Church approach to safeguarding children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable through the promotion of a sustained and sustainable culture of constant vigilance.
The Church recognises the personal dignity and rights of all Vulnerable People towards whom it has a special responsibility. The Church and individual members of it undertake to take all the appropriate steps to maintain a safe environment for all and to practice fully and positively Christ’s Ministry towards children, young people and adults who may be vulnerable, and to respond sensitively and compassionately to their needs in order to help keep them safe from harm.
The Church authorities will liase closely with statutory agencies to ensure that any allegations of abuse are promptly and properly investigated and where appropriate, survivors supported and perpetrators held to account.
The Church wishes to ensure that its parishes and Religious Congregations have the confidence to enable children, young people and vulnerable adults to have peace of mind, knowing they will be cared for and loved by their Christian community.
The Hallam Diocese Safeguarding Office
Diocesan Safeguarding Co-ordinator : Marie O’DonnellyThe Hallam Pastoral Centre, St Charles Street, Sheffield, S9 3WU
Office: 0114 256 6454, Work mobile: 07909 117 964
Email: [email protected]
Clergy Adviser for Safeguarding : Rev Peter McGuire
28 College Road, Spinkhill, Sheffield, S21 3YB
Tel: 01246 432 289
Email: [email protected]
Safeguarding Administrator : Jo Pearson
The Hallam Pastoral Centre, St Charles Street, Sheffield S9 3WU
Tel: 0114 256 6453
Email: [email protected]